


Love Waits

by SydneyHorses



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, First Kiss, Getting Together, Haha what if i was a fury and you were a shade and we kissed? just kidding...unless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27564160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SydneyHorses/pseuds/SydneyHorses
Summary: Megaera doesn't mean to stumble into Eurydice's home, but it happens nonetheless. Then it just... keeps happening, over and over. She's sure it doesn't mean anything, even as she purposefully takes detours to visit the shade again and again.
Relationships: Megaera/Eurydice (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	Love Waits

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!!! thanzag who all i can think about is shipping meg w/ random women she doesn't speak to in-game. join me in the rarepair zone!
> 
> this is my first time writing hades fic or writing either of these characters - tell me what you think!

The first time Megaera hears music in Asphodel, she’s on her way back to the House to give Hades himself a report. She’s not looking forward to it - Lord Hades is not the kind of person that one looks forward to speaking with. Still, it’s her job, and she gets along with Lord Hades far better than her sisters. If she’s lucky, the princeling won’t be busy, and she’ll be able to speak with him as a concession for having to make the trip. But for now, she trudges through Asphodel, her whip curled at her side and a sneer affixed to her face.

The humming is so soft that when she first hears it she thinks it’s imagined. Megaera freezes, glancing down the passage that she knows leads deeper, down to the House. To the side, almost forgotten, is another path. There are dozens of these paths in Asphodel. Normally, she ignores them.

But then again, there is not normally humming coming from them.

Megaera hesitates a moment longer, then sighs, turning away. The path she walks down is a respite, almost, from the burning fields of Asphodel. The room she finds there has high walls and no doors, but it’s easy for Meg to slip through. The shade there still looks mortal, but she moves like one of this realm when she sees Megaera, jumping to the side with an airy grace.

“Well hi there!” The shade’s lips quirk up into a smile. “I haven’t seen you around these parts before. What can I do for you?”

Meg shouldn’t be here. She scowls, her fingers twitching towards her whip. “You’re not seriously asking me that. I doubt there’s anything you can do for me.”

The shade laughs. “So overdramatic! Well, you look hungry. When was the last time you ate?” 

Megaera subsists off screams of the damned and nectar an idiot prince slips her from time to time. She does not ‘eat.’ Her scowl deepens. “Do you know who I am?”

The shade laughs, soft and musical, then leans against the counter. It’s hot here - it’s hot everywhere in Asphodel, Meg supposes, but there’s a kitchen here, and the oven’s heat is getting to her. “You’re one of the Furies, aren’t you? I’d recognize that whip anywhere.”

Meg tightens her grip on said whip. “Most shades run and hide from me.”

She shrugs. “I’m not most shades.”

Meg’s frown eases. “I’m Megaera.”

The shade extends a hand, then lowers it when it becomes clear that Meg has no plans to reciprocate. “Eurydice.”

Meg nods. She isn’t sure what to do in this type of situation. Eurydice. She’ll have to look her up back at the House, later. She uncoils her whip and then recoils it around her hand. “I should be going. I have less fortunate shades to torment.”

Eurydice laughs, unbothered by her sudden appearance and equally sudden departure. “Of course. I’ll see you around!”

Megaera doesn’t think they will be seeing each other again. She shouldn’t have even come here in the first place. Her jaw tightens, as does her grip on her whip, and then she nods. “Right.” Megaera slips out of the room as the shade begins humming again, the music following her long after she’s returned to Tartarus.

-

It’s some time before Megaera bothers to look up Eurydice in the records. She’s almost - disappointed? Is that the word? It’s all fairly boring, blasé stuff. Eurydice is just a nymph, as beautiful in life as in death. She led a charmed life, filled with laughter and music. She fell in love with some silly mortal, and then died, and both her and the mortal were heartbroken.

Although - it gets interesting, after that. The record becomes fuzzy. It says she died twice, which can’t be right. Once to a snake, and once to [Redacted], written in neat capital letters. Megaera frowns. What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Redacted. So something confidential killed her the second time. Something that Hades doesn’t want the rest of them to know.

What’s there to be secretive about here, of all places?

Ashamed for a reason she can’t put her finger on, Megaera puts the file away and heads into the West Wing. Hypnos might have some insight, if she’s lucky. He’ll likely have more questions than answers, but there’s no one else to ask. 

Whip in hand and a scowl fixed to her face, Meg stalks over to the House’s Entrance Hall. It’s unusually quiet today. Hypnos is here, as are the dead and Lord Hades, but not anyone else. 

“Hypnos,” she says, stopping a few feet away from the perpetually sleeping god and crossing her arms.

He jerks awake, nearly dropping his clipboard in his haste. “Megaera! I was just, erm, resting my eyes for a moment! Nothing to concern yourself over.”

“I don’t care about that,” Meg snaps. “You see every soul that dies, right?”

“Yes ma’am!” Hypnos does a dorky little salute and twirls his pen. How is Thanatos related to this idiot? “Have them all right here, safe and sound!”

“Let me see them.”

Hypnos floats backwards a few inches and clutches the clipboard to his chest. “No way! What do you want it for? You can go into the Administrative Office, can’t you? Look whatever it is up there.”

Meg clenches her jaw. “I did already. It said someone died from Redacted. I wanted to see if your clipboard matched up.”

“Oh, you mean Zagreus?” Hypnos lets out a little laugh. “He dies to Redacted all the time! Doesn’t seem to want to tell me what that means, though. I don’t have any answers for you either. Sorry!”

So Zagreus died to the same thing as Eurydice? That makes… no sense at all. Megaera frowns. “Right. You’ve been no help at all Hypnos. I’ll see you around.”

“See ya!” Hypnos calls, cheery as ever.

-

She’s in luck; Zagreus dies before she can get annoyed about waiting for him to show up. He crawls out of the Styx, dripping blood and scowling. A bad run, then. Whatever. It’s not any of her concern.

She hopes it wasn’t one of her sisters who got him.

Megaera is close enough to overhear his chat with Hypnos, who remarks with the utmost cheer on his death to Theseus’ spear. Not a great death, but better than it could have been, all things considered. She tunes out their conversation and walks across Dusa’s freshly polished floor to stand just outside of Zagreus’ bedroom, waiting.

She doesn’t have to wait long. Zagreus stops in front of her, a frown on his face. “Meg. Do you need something?”

Blood and darkness, she hates asking him for help. He’s going to think it means something. “You die to something the record marks as Redacted sometimes. What is it?”

Zagreus shifts. “Oh. That. Don’t worry about it.”

“Answer the question.”

Zagreus frowns, although it looks more like a pout. Despite being Lord Hades’ son, he doesn’t wear anger well. It’ll come, with time. She knows that well enough. “Meg. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Megaera sighs. “Fine. Could it kill someone else?”

Zagreus’ expression clouds. “I - yes. It could. But he - it - is only interested in killing me.”

Unhelpful, but information nonetheless. She’ll take what she can get.

“Why do you ask?”

Meg lifts her chin and stares at a point over Zagreus’ shoulder. “There’s a shade I met that the records say died twice. One of them was Redacted. Hypnos thought you would know.”

Zagreus scuffs his foot on the floor, undoing Dusa’s hard work. Ungrateful brat. “That’s weird. Who was it?”

This is a bad idea. Megaera, First of the Furies, grips her whip so hard it makes her knuckles hurt. “Eurydice.”

Zagreus’ face lights up. “Eurydice! How do you know her?”

“That’s not important,” Meg snaps. “How do you?”

That stupid smile doesn’t leave Zagreus’ face. “I see her in Asphodel sometimes. She makes the best food! Never lets me leave her little room without a full stomach.” His voice is fond and warm. Megaera’s stomach sinks.

“Why do you want to know how she died?” Zagreus takes a step closer to her. Meg moves back, instinctively.

“I met her a while back. I was curious. Nothing more.”

Zagreus seems to have finally realized that he’s not going to get much out of her. “Eurydice’s nice,” he says. Even now, his gaze darts away from her, to his bedroom and the depths of the Underworld beyond. He’s always thinking about running, isn’t he? “Why don’t you ask her?”

Idiot prince. “I’m not going to do that,” she snaps.

Zagreus shrugs. “It’d be easier than all this running around.”

“Nothing here is easy. You should know that by now.”

His green eye clouds over, and he sighs. “Yeah. I should, shouldn’t I?”

Zagreus leaves, and Megaera can do nothing but stand and watch. It’s Alecto’s turn, this time. They draw straws for the order, and every time Megaera hopes she’ll get the short one. If Zagreus has to die out there, she’d prefer to kill him herself.

Stupid. She wishes he’d stay dead. Megaera lets her whip fall out of its perfectly manicured coils, and then carefully remakes them. It’s all gone to rot. Idiot prince. Everything was fine before he decided he needed to leave. Now, everything’s wrong. Even her.

-

It’s some time before she comes across Eurydice again. She doesn’t often have occasion to be in Asphodel, after all. Furies are meant for Tartarus and the wretchedest of the wretched. Still, she passes through all the Underworld’s realms from time to time, and if she finds an occasion to do so sooner rather than later, well, no one has to know.

This time, she’s listening for the humming. When she catches wind of it, Meg veers off her original path, one hand holding tight to her whip. She walks into the chamber to the sound of singing, and lets the sound wash over her. It’s calm and peaceful, soothing in a way she didn’t know music could ever be. The words are hard to make out, but the sound eases her mind. Her shoulders drop, and she sighs.

“Hi, hon!” Eurydice’s voice is chipper and bright, a far cry from the melancholy peace her music provides.

Megaera doesn’t think anyone has ever called her ‘hon’ before. The word sends a rush of warmth through her, and she steps into the shade’s room almost shyly.

Eurydice smiles. “And here I thought my visitor was the prince! It’s good to see you again.”

So Eurydice calls Zagreus ‘hon’ as well. It’s nothing unique to Megaera. “Don’t compare me to that fool.”

Eurydice laughs. “That fool? Zagreus is sweet! He brings me ingredients for my dishes, sometimes. Up until you, he was the only visitor I’d had.”

Meg crosses her arms. “I can bring you ingredients. Zagreus isn’t special.”

Another laugh from Eurydice, richer this time. “Can you, now? Well, I _am_ almost out of Nectar.”

Meg sniffs. “An overseer shouldn’t distribute contraband.”

“Of course.” Eurydice turns to her stove, grabbing a bowl and filling it with a shimmering soup. She hands the bowl to Meg, then winks. “So it’ll be our little secret, won’t it?”

-

When next Megaera finds herself in Eurydice’s chamber, she has a bottle of Nectar in hand. She presents it to the shade coyly, almost as though it’s an offering, and then waits. Sure enough, Eurydice’s face brightens. “You remembered! I didn’t actually think you were going to bring anything. Thanks, hon!” She winks at Meg, and Megaera rests a hand on her whip, refusing to acknowledge the flush to her cheeks.

“You said you were almost out of Nectar.” It’s a pitiful excuse, even to Meg’s ears.

“I did,” Eurydice agrees. She pops the top off the bottle and pours a dash of it into one of the pots, stirring it slowly. She leans down to sniff it, then nods before ladelling the soup into two bowls. “Take a seat,” she says, nodding towards her bed. After a moment, Meg sits. She takes the bowl, holding it awkwardly while she watches Eurydice. None of the awkwardness or unease Meg feels is visible in the Shade. She’s as elegant and graceful as always, folding one of her legs underneath her and then dipping her spoon into the soup. She slurps down the first spoonful, then smiles at Meg. “Thanks for stopping by. Food always tastes better when you share it.”

Meg shifts. She used to know how to talk to people. Blood and darkness, why is she even here? What is she trying to accomplish? “If you wanted visitors, you could try being easier to find.” It’s an acerbic and unnecessary statement, but Eurydice just laughs. 

“I could, couldn’t I? I like it here though. I’ve made it my own.”

Meg finally raises the spoon to her lips, swallowing down the concoction. It’s delicious, filling her with warmth and a heady satisfaction. Before she can help it, she lets out a soft sigh of delight. “That’s good.”

“Right?” Eurydice grins, proud of her work. “One nice thing about eternity is I have forever to practice!”

Megaera eats some more of her soup, then sets the bowl down. “You don’t get bored of it, then.”

Eurydice shrugs. “Why should I? Do you get bored of your work?”

She’s tired of killing Zagreus. But no, other than that, she isn’t bored of her work. It’s… good. It’s what she was made for. What would she be if she was bored of it? Certainly not Megaera, anymore. “No. I don’t.”

“Exactly!” Eurydice says. She finishes her soup, then leans against one of the walls surrounding her bed. “I’m not complaining, but I wasn’t expecting you to come back. The second time was a surprise enough. Why are you here?”

Megaera stands. She should leave. “I wanted to see you,” she says, instead of good-bye. “I looked you up in the records. It says you died twice. I wanted to know more.”

Eurydice’s smile dims. “So that did count as a death? We really were close then, huh.” She sighs, wistful. “I died young. Someone who I loved tried to get your master to change that.” She shrugs. “It didn’t work out.”

Meg runs a thumb over the handle of her whip. “I see. You could find him, if you wanted. Everyone ends up here eventually.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Eurydice admits. “But it seems like a long time ago, now. I’m not the same person anymore, and I’m sure he isn’t either.”

“I see.” Meg straightens. “I should leave. I’ve wasted enough time.”

“Wait,” Eurydice says. “You should come back again sometime. Like I said, it gets lonely here, dear.” She stands, stepping close to Meg and leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. It’s tender and swift, and completely unexpected.

Meg’s lips part in shock, and before she can stop to think she leans forward to kiss Eurydice. It’s barely a kiss, by her standards - a mere brush of their lips against each other, nothing more. It’s gentle, soft, and the beginning of something.

When Meg steps back, it’s Eurydice’s turn to look shocked. “Is that not where we were headed?” Meg asks.

Eurydice laughs. “I guess it was! I’m not used to moving quickly anymore, I guess. I figured we’d take it slow. We have forever, after all.”

Meg frowns. “I’m not a patient person. It’s best you learn that now.”

Eurydice steps closer and takes her hand. Meg jerks back, but Eurydice persists, taking her hand again and squeezing it. “I’m patient. Forever means you have a long time to get good at something. The first thing I cooked was terrible, but the fiftieth? Amazing! Sometimes things are better when you wait.”

Meg’s whole body is a live wire, or a stiff board, or both. She’s losing control of her metaphors. Her only thought is of Eurydice, and the warmth of her hand. “I don’t see the point in waiting,” she confesses. “Punishment doesn’t wait.”

Eurydice shrugs. “Love does.”

Megaera, for once, doesn’t reply. Instead she lets the silence sit, surrounding the two of them as they wait for what’s to come.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter @edelgardlesbian!!


End file.
